PHOENIX (AP) – The Suns have officially hired former ISU Cyclones basketball standout Jeff Hornacek as their new coach. Phoenix turned to one of its former players Tuesday as the team looks to rebuild from one of the worst seasons in franchise history. Hornacek spent the first six of his 14 seasons as an NBA player with the Suns.
 
Multiple reports over the weekend had Hornacek getting the job, and the team made it official with Tuesday’s announcement that he would be the club’s 16th head coach. The 50-year-old Hornacek had been an assistant with the Utah Jazz since 2011. This is his first head coaching job.
 
He takes over a team that went 27-55 last season, the worst record in the Western Conference and second-worst in the franchise’s history. As a point guard for the Cyclones, Hornacek guided the team to the Sweet 16 in the 1986 NCAA Tournament. Hornacek left ISU with a Big-8 record of 665 career assists, still an Iowa State school record, and 1,313 career points.